Today marks the start of a series of “lasts.”
Last e-mails on the work account.
Last time staring at the patterns in the acoustic ceiling tiles.
For Christ’s sake, last goddamn morning exercises!
I am walking around the office in a haze. I watch myself shaking hands, saying goodbyes, tying up loose ends from a third person point of view. Six and one-half years is an awful long time to do the same job in a foreign country.
Over the next few weeks, time will accelerate and I will be in a rush to see old friends, catch a few new sights, and feel the rush of old, familiar feelings one last time before I go (oh, and also to move to Thailand). But it all starts here, on the last day of work. My cynical side equates this to escaping from the Yamato – fight bravely, suckers! – and it is undeniably sad to watch friends and colleagues sail off as I find a different way, but it is also the right thing to do, and it is my way.
Today, I graduate from being Salaryman.
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BREAKING NEWS ALERT!
Chinese like to gobble a dick all kinds of dick: Beijing’s penis emporium
I will admit to having eaten bull penis and testicle soup (respectively, cartilaginous and spongy), poached cod sperm (creamy), and a few other weird things, but I absolutely draw the line at seal penis (I once saw a walrus’ penis and it was like a beige fire hydrant) and aborted reindeer foetus.

The Osaka municipal government’s Water Bureau plans to sell bottles of highly purified tap water from Yodogawa river in an attempt to dispel a long-held belief among residents that the city’s water does not taste good.
Even though the tap water is now purified at facilities with cutting-edge technology, there are still many locals who say the water smells and is not drinkable.
The municipal government plans to hold a competition to choose a name and design for the bottles that will present a positive image of the city while keeping an eye on sales of bottled tap water in other cities.

I’ve said this a thousand times before: On the Wheels of Solid Steel is the best CD/DVD combo I’ve ever seen, period. When I heard about it I had to order from England, but it looks like they sell it on Amazon now. Do yourself a favor and get it, it’s one of the few mixed albums I can stand to listen to on it’s own (without video), and the bonus DVD is one of the few I’ve ever found worth watching more than once – hell, I’d have bought it separately if they’d decided to market it that way.
…………….
The two vids above are really well edited and fun, but I saved the best for last. These are live performances from his 2005 Japan tour:

Just came back from the last trip to the dentist. That’s 7 visits in one month – one root canal, 5 cavities, and today, a lengthy cleaning and some adjustments with a YAG laser.
My dentist turned out to be an okay guy – he treated my wife last year as well and we talked about Thailand a lot in between sessions with the Pick of Pain and the Drill of Evil. He didn’t even charge me for the cleaning and lasering sesh today, an unexpected treat.

Counting today, I have three days of work left. After that, I have three weeks to get my affairs in order and move to Thailand.
It’s been six and a half years since I was last unemployed. Plus, there’s the whole thing about learning a new language and culture… I must admit, I am nervous as I approach this next stage of life.
On the other hand: Freedom! Starting over in a new country! Learning a new language and culture!
When I start thinking about what I’m thinking about too much, I need to force myself to just accept the unknown, accept that I cannot control or even plan for everything. It goes against my nature somehow, but at the same time, it’s the only way I know.